Sunday – January 31st – Ephesians 6:12
6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Another beautiful and blessed Sunday has arrived. As we spend time in worship today, I would encourage all of us to really focus on our current discipleship series – I Am Second, and the bottom-line message that we need to put God first in the priority of our relationships. Also, I would like you to prayerfully consider two options to grow deeper in your faith walk. First, I will be hosting a seven-week on-line zoom Bible study beginning Tuesday February 23rd. The focus of the study will be on the previous Sunday’s teaching and discipleship discussion questions. Second, I am looking for 6-8 people to join me on Thursday evenings at 6:30p for a first hearing of the sermon followed by a discussion on the week’s discipleship questions. Please let me know if you are interested in either of these Discipleship @ SunRise growth opportunities.
Today we jump square into Paul’s teaching about the reality of spiritual warfare. This is my top “strength” verse in scripture. I lean into this verse when life becomes challenging. My every-time take-away when I draw strength from this verse is that my struggles are not with other humans. Albeit there are humans involved, but the root of every struggle is the spiritual warfare waged by the devil against my relationship with God. The Christian life is a flat our struggle most of the time, it requires decisions, effort, and sacrifices to choose God’s way and will. Our real enemy is not other human beings but the forces of evil that attempt to destroy our relationship with God and with others. While the forces of evil are super-natural, they are not all-powerful. God has adequate resources for us to be victorious. Holding the truths of this one verse, I would challenge you to walk carefully into your next difficult human interaction with the understanding that your battle is not with that person but with the devil working behind the scenes.
Blessings
Pastor Jim
Monday – February 1, 2021 – Ephesians 6:13
6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Another beautiful and blessed Sunday has arrived. As we spend time in worship today, I would encourage all of us to really focus on our current discipleship series – I Am Second, and the bottom-line message that we need to put God first in the priority of our relationships. Also, I would like you to prayerfully consider two options to grow deeper in your faith walk. First, I will be hosting a seven-week on-line zoom Bible study beginning Tuesday February 23rd. The focus of the study will be on the previous Sunday’s teaching and discipleship discussion questions. Second, I am looking for 6-8 people to join me on Thursday evenings at 6:30p for a first hearing of the sermon followed by a discussion on the week’s discipleship questions. Please let me know if you are interested in either of these Discipleship @ SunRise growth opportunities.
Today we jump square into Paul’s teaching about the reality of spiritual warfare. This is my top “strength” verse in scripture. I lean into this verse when life becomes challenging. My every-time take-away when I draw strength from this verse is that my struggles are not with other humans. Albeit there are humans involved, but the root of every struggle is the spiritual warfare waged by the devil against my relationship with God. The Christian life is a flat our struggle most of the time, it requires decisions, effort, and sacrifices to choose God’s way and will. Our real enemy is not other human beings but the forces of evil that attempt to destroy our relationship with God and with others. While the forces of evil are super-natural, they are not all-powerful. God has adequate resources for us to be victorious. Holding the truths of this one verse, I would challenge you to walk carefully into your next difficult human interaction with the understanding that your battle is not with that person but with the devil working behind the scenes.
Blessings
Pastor Jim
Monday – February 1, 2021 – Ephesians 6:13
Posted in I Am Second
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